If we're going to pay furloughed federal employees, why not let them work?

On Saturday, the House of Representatives passed a bill to guarantee furloughed federal employees back pay 407-0. So, if federal employees are going to be paid eventually, why not allow them to come back and do their jobs? Otherwise, it's not a furlough, it's a lockout with a paid vacation.

I work for a contractor and am lucky enough to not be furloughed, yet. But if this nonsense continues, I don't have the same safety net. No one has guaranteed me back pay.

Locking out federal employees with paid vacation without having to use leave time does nothing to quell any animosity between the public and private sectors. If they're going to be paid eventually, then let them work to earn it.

With the proposed omnibus spending bill, U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski has provided the leadership that demonstrates how Congress is supposed to work ("Bill keeps government open, gives millions to Md.," Jan. 14).

A reader recently expressed concern over the federal deficit and faults the Democrats for failing to come to grips with entitlements ("Republicans aren't to blame for Washington gridlock," Dec. 20). He describes the state of our federal budget as a free fall into bankruptcy. In my opinion, these...

The latest budget deal is all wrong for America, and it does not solve our fiscal issues one bit ("Senate passes budget deal, focus shifts to spending," Dec. 18). It just kicks the can further down the road.

Let me get this straight: Capitol Hill, which is filled with $200,000-plus a year politicians — many of them multimillionaires who retire with most of their salary intact and only lose their jobs only if they get voted out of office — is telling our military men and women that they are the ones...

The Sun writes that those nasty old Republicans are up to no good once again ("Not another debt limit fight," Dec. 16). Instead of cheerfully following the game plan and increasing the national debt by several trillion dollars, Republicans actually want to do something to slow this free fall into...